Old English/Pronouns
Introduction: Introduction - Grammar - Orthography
Parts of speech: Nouns - Verbs - Pronouns - Adjectives - Adverbs - Participles - Gerund - Conjunctions - Prepositions
Pronouns are used to substitute for nouns. They are not a requirement of a sentence, and it is possible for them to never to be used in sentences. However, they are useful because sentences look silly without them. For example, the sentence:
- Alistair is doing what Alistair thinks is best for Alistair's right as a human being.
There are no pronouns in that above sentence, and as such, it looks silly. Pronouns are words like "I, me, you, he, she, they, it." For example:
- You are silly.
- I am not silly.
- He is not silly.
- We are not silly.
- They are silly.
They allow sentences to be easier to understand.
- There are different types of pronouns:
- First person pronouns
- Second person pronouns
- Third person pronouns.
- Pronouns change depending on what part of the sentence they replace. They can be the subject (the person or thing doing the action described), the object (anyone or anything that isn't the subject), and they can be used to mark ownership or possession.
- Pronouns also change depending on whether they refer to one person or thing (singular) or a group of people or things (plural).
- First person pronouns are used when referring to oneself, for example:
- I think I am not silly.
- Singular. As a subject, I (this is always a capital letter). As an object, me. As a possessive, my.
- Plural. As a subject, we. As an object, us. As a possessive, our.
- Second person pronouns are used to refer to someone who you are conversing with, the person the sentence is intended to be heard by. For example:
- You are not very silly.
- Second person singular is not commonly used in modern English. Use a plural form always. As a subject or an object, you. As a possessive, your.
- Third person pronouns are used when referring to something else that is outside the conversation, either some other person, or an object not capable of understanding or communicating. For example:
- I don't like the tree because it is mean to me.
- I don't like the RIAA because they sue me.
- Third person singular pronouns are the only pronouns marked for gender. If gender is unknown, use 'he or she' or use a plural. Never use the neuter pronouns to refer to people, because it is considered rude. In English, unlike many languages, gender is usually only used to describe things that have a definite gender, like people or cats.
- Singular (in form masculine/feminine/neuter). As a subject, he/she/it. As an object, him/her/it. As a possessive, his/her/its.
- Plural. As a subject, they. As an object, them. As a possessive, their.
A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun: as, The boy loves his book; he has long lessons, and he learns them well.
The pronouns in our language are twenty-four; and their variations are thirty-two: so that the number of words of this class, is fifty-six.
Pronouns are divided into three classes; personal, relative, and interrogative.
A personal pronoun is a pronoun that shows, by its form, of what person it is; as,
"Whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed."--1 Cor., xv, 11.
The simple personal pronouns are five: namely, I, of the first person; thou, of the second person; he, she, and it, of the third person.
The compound personal pronouns are also five: namely, myself, of the first person; thyself, of the second person; himself, herself, and itself, of the third person.
A relative pronoun is a pronoun that represents an antecedent word or phrase, and connects different clauses of a sentence; as,
"No people can be great, who have ceased to be virtuous."--Dr. Johnson.
The relative pronouns are who, which, what, that, as, and the compounds whoever or whosoever, whichever or whichsoever, whatever or whatsoever.
What is a kind of double relative, equivalent to that which or those which; and is to be parsed, first as antecedent, and then as relative: as,
"This is what I wanted; that is to say, the thing which I wanted."--L. Murray. III.
An interrogative pronoun is a pronoun with which a question is asked; as, "Who touched my clothes?"--Mark, v, 30.
The interrogative pronouns are who, which, and what; being the same in form as relatives.
Who demands a person's name; which, that a person or thing be distinguished from others; what, the name of a thing, or a person's occupation and character.
Pronouns have the same modifications as nouns; namely, Persons, Numbers, Genders, and Cases. Definitions universally applicable have already been given of all these things; it is therefore unnecessary to define them again in this place.
The declension of a pronoun is a regular arrangement of its numbers and cases.
Simple personals.
The simple personal pronouns are thus declined:--
I, of the FIRST PERSON, any of the genders.
Sing. Nom. ic, Dual. Nom. wit Plur. Nom. wē,
Gen. mīn Gen. uncer Gen. ūser, ūre
Dat. mē Dat. unc Dat. ūs
Acc. mec, mē Acc. uncit, unc Acc. ūsic, ūs
YOU, of the SECOND PERSON, any of the genders.
Sing. Nom. þu, Dual. Nom. ġit Plur. Nom. ġē,
Gen. þīn Gen. incer Gen. ēower
Dat. þē Dat. inc Dat. ēow
Acc. þec, þē Acc. incit, inc Acc. ēowic, ēow
HE, of the THIRD PERSON, masculine gender.
Sing. Nom. hē Plur. Nom. hīe
Gen. his Gen. hira
Dat. him Dat. him
Acc. hine Acc. hīe
SHE, of the THIRD PERSON, feminine gender.
Sing. Nom. hēo Plur. Nom. hīe
Gen. hire Gen. hira
Dat. hire Dat. him
Acc. hīe Acc. hīe
IT, of the THIRD PERSON, neuter gender.
Sing. Nom. hit Plur. Nom. hīe
Gen. his Gen. hira
Dat. him Dat. him
Acc. hit Acc. hīe
Relatives and interrogatives.
Old English did not have a true relative pronoun, but used the particle þe referring to something in the previous clause. In some contexts, the interrogative and the demonstrative can be used as relative pronouns. The relative and the interrogative pronouns are thus declined:--
WHO, applied to masculine and feminine nouns.
Sing. Nom. hwā Plur. Nom. hwā
Gen. hwæs Gen. hwæs
Dat. hwǣm Dat. hwǣm
Inst. hwȳ Inst. hwǣm
Acc. hwone Acc. hwone
WHAT, applied to neuter nouns only.
Sing. Nom. hwæt Plur. Nom. hwæt
Gen. hwæs Gen. hwæs
Dat. hwǣm Dat. hwǣm
Inst. hwȳ Inst. hwǣm
Acc. hwæt Acc. hwæt
WHICH OF TWO, declined like a strong adjective with the same gender and case of the noun it modifies.
Masc Neut Fem Masc Neut Fem
Sing. Nom. hwæðer hwæðer hwæðer Plur. Nom. hwæðre hwæðer hwæðra
Gen. hwæðres hwæðres hwæðerre Gen. hwæðerra
Dat. hwæðrum hwæðrum hwæðerre Dat. hwæðrum
Inst. hwæðre hwæðre hwæðerre Inst. hwæðrum
Acc. hwæðerne hwæðer hwæðere Acc. hwæðre hwæðer hwæðra
Like hwæðer is āhwæðer ''some one, something; any one; anything'', ǣġhwæðer '''''of two''''' ''either, both, each; '''''of many''''' ''every one, each'', nāhwæðer ''neither'', swæðer ''whichever of two, whosoever of two''
WHICH, declined like a strong adjective with the same gender and case of the noun it modifies.
Masc Neut Fem Masc Neut Fem
Sing. Nom. hwilc hwilc hwilc Plur. Nom. hwilce hwilc hwilca
Gen. hwilces hwilces hwilcre Gen. hwilcra
Dat. hwilcum hwilcum hwilcre Dat. hwilcum
Inst. hwilce hwilce hwilcre Inst. hwilcum
Acc. hwilcne hwilc hwilce Acc. hwilce hwilc hwilca
Like hwilc is swilc ''such'', gehwilc ''each/every one'', ǣghwilc ''each one, every one'', nāthwilc ''someone I know not'', samhwilc ''some''
With the following relative pronouns, the particle ''þe'' is not required.
HE WHO, applied to masculine nouns.
Sing. Nom. sē þe Plur. Nom. þā þe
Gen. þæs þe Gen. þāra þe
Dat. þǣm þe Dat. þǣm þe
Acc. þone þe Acc. þā þe
SHE WHO, applied to feminine nouns.
Sing. Nom. sēo þe Plur. Nom. þā þe
Gen. þǣre þe Gen. þāra þe
Dat. þǣre þe Dat. þǣm þe
Acc. þā þe Acc. þā þe
IT WHO, applied to neuter nouns.
Sing. Nom. þæt þe Plur. Nom. þā þe
Gen. þæs þe Gen. þāra þe
Dat. þǣm þe Dat. þǣm þe
Acc. þæt þe Acc. þā þe
THIS WHO/WHICH, applied to masculine nouns.
Sing. Nom. þēs þe Plur. Nom. þās þe
Gen. þisses þe Gen. þissa þe
Dat. þissum þe Dat. þissum þe
Inst. þȳ þe Inst. þissum þe
Acc. þisne þe Acc. þās þe
THIS WHO, applied to feminine nouns.
Sing. Nom. þēos þe Plur. Nom. þās þe
Gen. þisse þe Gen. þissa þe
Dat. þisse þe Dat. þissum þe
Acc. þās þe Acc. þās þe
THIS WHO, applied to neuter nouns.
Sing. Nom. þis þe Plur. Nom. þās þe
Gen. þisses þe Gen. þissa þe
Dat. þissum þe Dat. þissum þe
Inst. þȳs þe Inst. þissum þe
Acc. þis þe Acc. þās þe
Indefinites.
The indefinite pronouns are thus declined:--
GEHWILC, ''each, every one, all, whoever, whatever'', declined like an adjective. literally applied to persons only.
Masc Neut Fem Masc Neut Fem
Sing. Nom. gehwilc gehwilc gehwilc Plur. Nom. gehwilce gehwilc gehwilca
Gen. gehwilces gehwilcre Gen. gehwilcra
Dat. gehwilcum gehwilcre Dat. gehwilcum
Inst. gehwilce gehwilcre Inst. gehwilcum
Acc. gehwilcne gehwilc gehwilce Acc. gehwilce gehwilc gehwilca
GEHWĀ, ''every one, whoever, who'', declined just like ''hwā, hwæt''.
Masc/Fem Neut
Sing. Nom. ġehwā gehwæt
Gen. ġehwæs gehwæs
Dat. ġehwǣm gehwǣm
Inst. ġehwȳ -
Acc. ġehwone gehwæt
WHAT, applied ordinarily to things only.
Sing. Nom. hwæt Plur. Nom. hwæt
Gen. hwæs Gen. hwæs
Dat. hwǣm Dat. hwǣm
Acc. hwæt Acc. hwæt
With the following relative pronouns, the particle ''þe'' is not required.
HE WHO, applied to masculine nouns.
Sing. Nom. sē þe Plur. Nom. þā þe
Gen. þæs þe Gen. þāra þe
Dat. þǣm þe Dat. þǣm þe
Acc. þone þe Acc. þā þe
SHE WHO, applied to feminine nouns.
Sing. Nom. sēo þe Plur. Nom. þā þe
Gen. þǣre þe Gen. þāra þe
Dat. þǣre þe Dat. þǣm þe
Acc. þā þe Acc. þā þe
IT WHO, applied to neuter nouns.
Sing. Nom. þæt þe Plur. Nom. þā þe
Gen. þæs þe Gen. þāra þe
Dat. þǣm þe Dat. þǣm þe
Acc. þæt þe Acc. þā þe
Compound relatives.
The compound relative pronouns, whoever or whosoever, whichever or whichsoever, and whatever or whatsoever are declined in the same manner as the simples, who which, what. Thus:--
WHOEVER or WHOSOEVER, applied to masculine and feminine nouns.
Sing. Nom. swā hwā swā Plur. Nom. swā hwā swā
Gen. swā hwæs swā Gen. swā hwæs swā
Dat. swā hwǣm swā Dat. swā hwǣm swā
Inst. swā hwȳ/hwon swā Inst. swā hwȳ/hwon swā
Acc. swā hwone swā Acc. swā hwone swā
WHATEVER or WHATSOEVER, applied ordinarily to things only.
Sing. Nom. swā hwæt swā Plur. Nom. swā hwæt swā
Gen. swā hwæs swā Gen. swā hwæs swā
Dat. swā hwǣm swā Dat. swā hwǣm swā
Inst. swā hwȳ/hwon swā Inst. swā hwȳ/hwon swā
Acc. swā hwæt swā Acc. swā hwæt swā
WHICHEVER OF TWO or WHICHSOEVER OF TWO, declined like a strong adjective.
Masc Neut Fem Masc Neut Fem
Sing. Nom. swā hwæðer swā swā hwæðer swā swā hwæðer swā Plur. Nom. swā hwæðre swā swā hwæðer swā swā hwæðra swā
Gen. swā hwæðres swā swā hwæðres swā swā hwæðerre swā Gen. swā hwæðerra swā
Dat. swā hwæðrum swā swā hwæðrum swā swā hwæðerre swā Dat. swā hwæðrum swā
Inst. swā hwæðre swā swā hwæðre swā swā hwæðerre swā Inst. swā hwæðrum swā
Acc. swā hwæðerne swā swā hwæðer swā swā hwæðere swā Acc. swā hwæðre swā swā hwæðer swā swā hwæðra swā
WHICHEVER or WHICHSOEVER, declined like a strong adjective.
Masc Neut Fem Masc Neut Fem
Sing. Nom. swā hwilc swā swā hwilc swā swā hwilc swā Plur. Nom. swā hwilce swā swā hwilc swā swā hwilca swā
Gen. swā hwilces swā swā hwilces swā swā hwilcre swā Gen. swā hwilcra swā
Dat. swā hwilcum swā swā hwilcum swā swā hwilcre swā Dat. swā hwilcum swā
Inst. swā hwilce swā swā hwilce swā swā hwilcre swā Inst. swā hwilcum swā
Acc. swā hwilcne swā swā hwilc swā swā hwilce swā Acc. swā hwilce swā swā hwilc swā swā hwilca swā
swáhwætswá [] pron whatsoever
swáhwæðer [] pron whichever
A part of the text in this article, was taken from the public domain English grammar "The Grammar of English Grammars" by Goold Brown, 1851.